If you live in a different country to your birth - cultural norms you find odd?

[Triffid1]

I am South African originally. As I was dropping DS (13) at his activity last night at 7pm, knowing I'd be picking him at 8:30, I was thinking how I just don't think I'm ever going to get used to the lateness of things for children in this country. I honestly don't think i was out of the house after 6:30 on a school night, ever, until I was about 16!!! Admittedly, we also started our days much earlier - school start was 8:05 I think.

And I admit, I find it even odder because you change your clocks so that it gets light earlier and dark earlier. And certainly where we are (SE England), everything happens LATER, not earlier. I'm also from Cape Town though so to be fair, it gets light much later so getting up in the dark was a pretty normal event in winter for us.

Does anyone else have anything like this that they find odd? Light please - I'm not looking to bash any other cultures just note the differences!

Most of my children's activities are between 6-7.30. primary age.

I'm guessing they go straight to bed after and have their dinner before hand?

My 8yo has Cubs until 7.45pm but they have been as late as 10pm on ocassions.

I work in healthcare and when I first moved to the UK, I handed the patient a gown and said 'Take everything of, your top and pants etc and put this on please'.
I was shocked when some had removed their underpants! I quickly learnt that the term is 'take off your trousers and leave your pants on' 😆

Tell that to all the "kids should be in bed by now" if children are dared to be seen anywhere after 7 pm..

@CiderJabs ha ha! About 5 mins walk just means not very far. Very confusing though

Same as "I'm 5 minutes away" just means I am nearly there, it doesn't literally mean you'll be there in 5 mins exactly.

Don’t we have a thing called socks? 😂 also I prefer feet than public toilets and dirt from guttters.

I'm not in the UK and I don't recall ever going to someone's house and being asked to remove my shoes. We aren't so precious about our floors here, and aren't too lazy to do the hoovering if necessary (nor do we have as much dog shit on the pavements as you do!).

As for "all the negative energys we walk in"

There is nothing gross, or weird, about wearing shoes inside the house.

Ah now!
That’s a bit harsh.
It’s cultural of course. You’d have thought this thread might have given you a hint 😉

But it doesn’t make sense - the outdoors is so gross. Would you walk barefoot outdoors and want those same feet in the house? I personally find public toilets so disgusting!

A question for those of you from Spain, or other cultures where young children are routinely out and about very late (10pm etc,) What time do they start school in the morning? Mine are teens now, but as primary aged children there's no way they could've routinely gone to bed that late and still been able to get up and be alert enough to be in school by 8.30am.

I walk barefoot outside ALL the time, I'm with the Sydney folk on this one.

My feet are not gross, stinky or crusty (news flash is you air them like you are suppose to that doesn't actually happen), I have never had a foot infection in my life.

Feet wash... your hands touch stuff thats usually much more higher risk of dangerous bacteria deposits than your feet and you constantly absently minded touch your face/mouth too.

Oh my god yes 🤣🤣 I'm Scottish and I completely agree with this! My husband can't ask how much something costs because he sees it as a commit to buy 🤣🤣🤣 I just walk up and say "how much is this" they tell me and I go "cool thanks!" He can't believe it when I do it 🤣🤣🤣 I also can't stand how people aren't direct with plans / timings etc either! I'm ND so I NEEEED details people 🤣 probably why my family say I'm so direct ... Yes because who has time and energy to dance around the subject 🤣

You clearly don’t live in a city! Or have little kids thatu crawl on the floor. Do you wash your feet as you come in?

I’m from the southern US then went to an east coast boarding school before moving to the UK. After 15+ years I still struggle with
-Traditional school uniforms. Why is everyone so determined to force children to wear impractical costumes that are no longer even applicable to most daily lives in adulthood?
-The absurdly complex secondary school selection process
-Education narrows too quickly and too far
-No one wanting to drive more than 15 minutes
-The lack of closets even in newer homes
-Planning committees. My god it’s a nightmare to build or renovate anything here
-I still hate line dried clothes & linens. Sorry, I’ve tried.
-The limited role of paediatricians and specialized paediatric care. American children often go until their teen years without ever seeing a doctor who doesn’t specialize in children. Oh, and calling certain doctors Mr. or Ms. still trips me up.

Of course there are plenty of food & drink related things I either miss or have not learned to appreciate here, but that’s to be expected. And there are also a heap of things I like better.

Ha, ha - walking barefoot is quite common here in summer, so yes, I do walk barefoot outside and then enter the house. In fact I am barefoot at the moment and wandering in and out with the laundry. Your outdoors might be gross, ours not so much. Never found public toilets disgusting either, and as I walk everywhere I use a lot of them.

And the royal family too. It seems so anachronistic and dysfunctional, I really don't get why many British people are so defensive of this utterly mediocre and insanely expensive family.

Yes to this.

Even on MN the number of active royal threads at any given time boggle my mind. And it's always so mundane 'Meghan spotted at gala event' 'Kate's red cardigan' 'Does William have a bad cold?'.

Jeez Louise 😂

I grew up in America. When I came to the UK 20 years ago, I struggled with everything closing around 5:30 ( which it did back then where I lived). And half the shops were closed all day on Sundays. Business hours are generally longer now, but still can't compete with the Barnes &Noble book shop that I grew up near open until 2am every day.

Also, eating out so infrequently in the UK. I grew up eating out in restaurants 5-8 times or so a week, various meals. Eating at home every day took some getting used to.

I can’t wrap my head around it either, but then I also don’t understand celebrity watching/gossip/worship and honestly I think they’re basically the same thing in that aspect.

Brit in SA:

Going barefoot in public is totally acceptable, especially for kids. My son's school discourages shoes and calls bare feet 'happy feet.' They play rugby barefoot until high school. Every time we visit the UK its a constant battle to get them to keep their shoes on at the park.

Every interaction needs to start with a proper greeting, not just a hasty hi as you unload your trolley. Really ask how they are, really listen and respond. Moving here from London it took a while to adjust but now I love it.

more frustratingly, why does every tiny life admin task need me to spend a day waiting in line at a government office instead of an easy online form? Passport, drivers license, car tax, dog-walking permit, it's endless.

and why do I have an incredible choice of wine at the supermarket, but can only buy beer at the off-license? Baffling.

You can hardly miss it. Disingenuous comment that proves the original poster’s point.

Squash is diluting juice.

Go to Germany and look at the magazine shelves in any supermarket. They are full of various gossip stories of all Royal Families. The Germans are obsessed.
I remember when Kate was hospitalised the first time and you had at leaast 4 different headlights regarding this from loosing the baby to having triplets.

The opposite for me. I don't see the issue with driving down to Devon circa 3 ish hours and back in a day.

The obsession with how much everyone earns and being a higher earner. I understand ambition and wanting to do well. But about doing something that you truly love even if it means it's a bit of a stretch.

The stinginess (might just be my circle of friends) everyone counting pennies- splitting everything to the penny. The reciprocal buying of rounds.

I'm the positive side- there seems to be more of an awareness of healthy eating and living. Limiting upf and sugar. Not being excessive with food or drink. It's rather daunting being served food in North America now. Plus it's ridiculously salty compared to food here.

Schools and kids clubs seem more inclusive here.

You mean when we have a late holiday in Spain (October) and we are in t shirt and shorts watching the locals in puffa jackets and gloves, they are actually boiling underneath and just dressing for Autumn??